Bahne bonntksen



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BAIINE BONNIKSEN, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND.

WATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,287,

(No model.) Patented in England November 24, 1892, No. 21,421.

Application iiled January 18, 1894. Serial No. 497,316.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BAHNE BoNNIKsEN, a citizen of Germany, residing at No. 16 Norfolk Street, Coventry, in the county of Varwiek, England," have invented a Means of Making a Vatch, a Clock, or a Chronometer Keep Time to the Same Precision on All its Side Positions, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 21,421., bearing date November 24, 1892,) of which the following is a specilication.

By side positions I mean the hanging position, the three oclock upward, the six oclock upward, and the nine oclock upward. The specific piece of mechanism which effects this, when introduced in a timekeeper, I have called a rotating cup-shaped plate.

My invention relates to that class of timepieces in which the position of the escapement is constantly changed with relation to the rest of the going-train, but at the same time maintains an unaltered position continually, except as regards its pivotal movement, to the balance of the said timepiece, the construction being such that the escapement is constantly caused to turn around the said balance by the action of the mechanism of the said timepiece when in operation to more properly govern and equalize the movement thereof.

Vith this object in view reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the complete mechanism as connected to a portion of a going-train for accomplishing the aforesaid result, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig.

l with the balance-spring removed.

For the detailed description of my invention, the manner of operation, and the working relation of the parts thereof to each other reference is had to the annexed speciiieation and drawings, in which A represents in the going-train of ordinary watch constructions the third wheel thereof meshing with the fourth pinion B, which is connected on the arbor bf with the fourth wheel C. This wheel C is pivotally supported within a cup-like construction D, hereinafter termed the rotating cup-shaped plate D, which latter is preferably provided with a lower flat base d, which rests movably upon a portion e of the pillar-plate E of the watchdated November 5, 1895.

train. A trunnion F projects downwardly Y from the said rotating cup-shaped plate D through a portion of the said pillar-plate E and supports a gear-wheel G, which is preferably screwed securely to the said trunnion on the under side of the pillar-plate portion e and meshes with a pinion H, connected with the aforesaid third wheel A. rThis construction holds the said rotating cup-shaped plate D securely but turnably in place on the pillar-plate E. A hole d is formed through the axis-center of the trunnion F to permit the arbor b to pass freely and independently through the said trunnion F, in order that the said arborl) may be located in the same center of motion that the said rota-ting cup-shaped plate D occupies, the said arbor b being pivoted at b in the pillar-plate E and at b2 in a cock I, which latter is iirinly secured to and is movable with the rotating cup-shaped plate D. The pinion B, meshing with the wheel A, is secured tothe arbor l) below and outside of the rotating cup-shaped plate D, and when revolved conveys movement to the fourth wheel C inside the said plate D. Meshing with and revolved by the said fourth wheel C is the escapement-pinion J, which is pivotally supported by its respective arbor j upon and carried by the aforesaid rotating cup-shaped plate D, the upper end of the arbor being turnable in a bearing in a cock K, which is secured to the said rotating cupshaped plate D. The arbor J also supports and carries the escapement-wheel L, which actuates by means of the pallets m m the escapement-lever M, which lever is also pivotally supported, as at m m', upon and is carried by the said rotating cup-shaped plate D.

The balance-wheel N is supported turnably directly above and on the same center of motion as are the fourth wheel C and the rotating cup-shaped plate D, which latter pivotally supports on the cock I at fn. and on the bridge O, as at n, the said balance-wheel. The roller P, secured to the balance-pivot, supports the impulse-pin p, which removably connects with the lever M at the fork p during the impulse movements of the watchtrain to operate the balance-wheel N.

lVhen the watch-train is set in motion from the mainspring, which latter is not shown, by means of the third wheel A, as shown aci ing upon and driving the fourth pinion and wheel B C, the third-wheel pinion H by means of meshing with the wheel G, thereby rotates the latter and thus the rotating cup-shaped plate D, turnable on the trunnion F, to which construction the said wheel G is securely attached. At the same time the said fourth wheel C, having been set in motion, as described, meshing with the escapepinion J, thereby actuates the escape-wheel L, which escape-wheel, being borne by the rotating cup-shaped plate D, actuates through the pallets m m the escape-lever M, and thus by means of the portion p of the said lever and the impulse-pin p the balance-wheel N.

The balance-spring, which is usually connected with the balance-wheel N, is not shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, as its officeis merely to impart a return movement to the said wheel, and bears no other relation to the escapement or rotating cup-shaped plate D.

I prefer to construct the rotating cupshaped plate D in the form of a cup-shaped or depressed disk, as shown, though of course any other construction which will be turnable and properly support the escapement parts will serve the same purpose as the firstmentioned design.

It will be noticed that when the going-train is set in motion the rotating cup-shaped plate D will be rotated by means of its wheel G meshing with the third-wheel pinion H, and since the said third wheel revolves once in seven and one-half minutes and its pinion H is one-seventh of the diameter of the rotating cup-shaped plate D, (wheel G,) which latter is preferably given such dimension, with which it meshes, it is readily seen that since the said pinion H will revolve seven times in order to revolve the rotating cupshaped plate D, (wheel G) once the rotating cup-shaped plate D with the escapement upon it is thus caused to revolve once in seven and one-half times seven, or fifty-two and one-half minutes. The third wheel A, turning with its pinion H once in seven and onehalf minutes, drives thereby the fourth pinion B, and through its arbor b the fourth wheel C, at the rate of sixty revolutions per hour inside the rotating cup-shaped plate D. It must be understood that the idea of causing the escapement to turn around the balance independent of the natural vibration of the latter is not claimed as new by me, but the mode by which that end is accomplished. Further, the rotating cup-shaped plate D may, of course, be rotated by being geared to any other wheel of the watch than to the third pinion H and be rotated at any desired speed, according to the relative proportion of such gearing.

The escapement herein shown and set forth is merely for the purpose of showing the relative connection between the going-train, revolving escapement, and the balance, and does not in itself form a feature of my invention. The purpose of the rotating cup-shaped plate D (which term is used to indicate a roundabout or turning body) is to cause by means of its rotation the continual rotation of the escapement in one direction and a similar rotation of the balance-wheel around its pivot independent of its to-and-fro motion around the balance-wheel pivot of a watch, chronometer, and any other timepiece, thus constantly preserving the same relation in regard to movement between the said escapement and the said balance-wheel. This plan of causing the escapement and balance to rotate around and upon the axis-center of the balance-wheel, it will be readily understood, will compensate in the movement of the said escapement and balance for any unevenn ess of balancing or adjustment of either of the said parts, and particularly of the balancewheel, in which the circular movement, as described, will correct in indicated and measured time the unevenness of motion of said balance and the unevenness of time measured and indicated by compensating for the defect in case the center of motion of the said balance does not coincide with the center of gravity thereof. Thus as the pivot of the balance-wheel of a timepiece is usually arranged right-angularly with relation to the longitudinal line of the said timepiece or the line of power application, and since the diametrical line of the said balance-wheel rim is thus approximately vertically disposed, it is evident that if the balance should be unevenly weighted and heaviest on the side of its down motion, so that the impulse, force, and the weight of the said balance will move with and in the direction of the gravital action thereupon, the said balance will move farther in consequence of the operation of such combined forces upon the one side of its center of gravity with its downstroke than with its upstroke. If the said watch, as a means of demonstration, be now turned upside down, so that the uneven weight of the balance will be on the opposite or 11p-movement side of the balance movement, it is obvious that the action of the watch will be, in consequence of such action and position, slower than when during the opposite movement thereof.

The method already in vogue is to mount the whole escapement, the balance, and necessary bars upon the fourth pinion, (the pinion which carries the seconds-hand.) It is thus turned around at the exceedingly-rapid rate of sixty turns per hour, this high speed making it necessary to make all the parts as delicate as possible, for if strongly made the friction on the fourth-pinion bearings would be too great for the watch to overcome and the inertia offer too great a resistance at the time of impulse, since the watch has not a continuous movement, but moves in jumps, which said jumps take place at the period of connection of the balance with the escapement. For the aforesaid reasons the method just described could only be introduced in the most expensive watches, as only work- IOO IIO

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'men of the highest skill are able to make the finely-required mechanism in question. My method leaves the present arrangement of Wheels unaltered, and none of the pinions or arbors have anything extra to carry. The body which I contemplate introducing in the Watch is carried by its own independent axle and is merely made to turn around through its being geared With one of the pinions or the Wheels of the Watch. It hasv no forces to transmit. Therefore the friction upon its axle or trunnion is merely that due its Weight, and it can be made to turn so slow that its inertia will be of no objection, even if it be made of strong and heavy material.

IIaving non7 set forth the nature of my invention and the manner in which I accomplish the aforesaid results, at the same time not limiting myself to the exact construction herein set forth and shown, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a time piece, a time correcting device consisting of a turnable body having an independent axis, and supporting an escapement device, the axis of said body being coincident With the axis of a Wheel of the said time piece, the pivot of the said Wheel passing through an opening in the axis trunnion of the said body, and having a turnable bearing With the latter, and a means for moving said body, substantially as set forth.

2. In a time piece, a revoluble time correcting body, having an independent axis, a balance Wheel and an escapement device mounted upon said body, a trunnion supporting said body, and means for rotating the latter, the fourth Wheel pivot or arbor of the said time piece passing loosely through an opening in said trunnion, and having its axis coincident With the axis of the said body7 substantially as set forth.

3. In a time piece, a time correcting device comprising a turnable body having a bearing, a balance wheel, and an escapement device, a trunnion connected with and turnably supporting said body, and a power Wheel connected with the trunnion of said body to rotate the latter, substantially as set forth.

BAHNE BONNIKSEN.

Witnesses:

VAUGHAN WICKENDEN RoBINsoN, FRED SHARPE. 

